Indiana State Police issued the alert for 8-year-old Sophia Snow, who police say was taken by her mother, 37-year-old Jennifer Ansari.

In order for an Amber Alert to be issued out of the state of Indiana, a child has to be abducted or at serious risk of danger or death.

Sophia Snow’s grandparents say the girl is not in danger, and it's her mother -- their daughter -- who is actually protecting her.

“I don't see how she's got a choice. I'm not condoning anyone breaking the law, but I don't know what I would do in her spot and I really can't criticize much for what she's doing,” said Raymond Waggener, Sophia’s grandfather and Ansari’s father.

According to Raymond and Wanda Waggener, their daughter, Jennifer Ansari, accuses Sophia's father, her former boyfriend, of wrongdoing against their 8-year-old daughter. Her parents tell WLKY that after she challenged the father in court for a change in custody and child support, the courts found in the father's favor. That's when they believe their daughter felt she had no other option but to run.

"I don't know what to do. It's like you're between a rock and a hard place. If you tell her to turn herself in, they're going to take the child and send her straight to Florida,” said Raymond Waggener.

Ansari’s parents said she just couldn't do that. The Waggners also said they met with their daughter on Tuesday. Ansari was in Louisville, but they said they don't know where she is now and even asked her not to tell them so they couldn't lie to police.

"My daughter has never been in any trouble, never had any issues with alcohol or drugs. My daughter is a very good mother," said Raymond Waggener.

"The child is not where she's supposed to be. She's not in school, and it does appear that the mother is intentionally violating this court order," said Tom Weger from the Fishers Police Department.

According to the father's attorney, Rodney Sarkovics, the father spoke with Ansari about returning Sophia into his care in Florida.

Sarckovics said that's when Ansari told the father she wasn't returning the child and indicated she may harm herself and the child.

That's when an emergency motion was filed for immediate custody to the father in Florida and Indiana State Police filed the Amber Alert.

"She had no options. The only option she had is to take that child and turn her over to this man," Raymond Waggener said.

While WLKY was interviewing Ansari's parents, two officers from Louisville Metro Police Department came to question them in relation to their daughter and the Amber Alert.

Louisville police are not the investigators lead in the case, but they are assisting Kentucky and Indiana State Police in the search for Ansari and her daughter.

Ansari was last seen driving a 2012 burgundy four-door Honda Civic with Kentucky license plate number 779NZJ.

AN AMBER ALERT IS ISSUED FOR AN EIGHT-YEAR OLD GIRL.. SPARKING A MULTI- STATE SEARCH FOR THE GIRL AND HER MOTHER..WHO'S FORMERLY FROM LOUISVILLE. INDIANA STATE POLICE ISSUED THE ALERT FOR 8- YEAR OLD SOPHIA SNOW LAST NIGHT. POLICE SAY SHE WAS TAKEN BY HER MOTHER 37-YEAR OLD JENNIFER ANSARI. WLKY'S ANN BOWDAN SPOKE WITH ANSARI'S PARENTS WHO STILL LIVE IN LOUISVILLE. SHE JOINS US NOW WITH MORE..ANN. IN ORDER FOR AN AMBER ALERT TO BE ISSUED OUT OF THE STATE OF INDIANA, A CHILD HAS TO BE ABDUCTED OR AT SERIOUS RISK OF DANGER OR DEATH. BUT SOPHIA SNOWS GRANDPARENTS SAY..SHE'S NOT IN DANGER. THEIR DAUGHTER IS JUST TRYING TO PROTECT HER. DESPERATE AND TORN, RAYMOND WAGGENER CAN'T HELP BUT FEEL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LAW..AND HIS DAUGHTER'S BELIEF..THAT SHE HAS TO PROTECT HER CHILD..8-YEAR OLD SOPHIA SNOW. BOTH LIVE IN FISHERS, INDIANA. BUT HER ACTIONS HAVE NOT ONLY BROKEN THE LAW..BUT HAVE LAUNCHED A MULTI- STATE SEARCH BY AUTHORITIES..AND AN AMBER ALERT OUT OF INDIANA. ACCORDING TO RAYMOND AND WANDA WAGGENER, THEIR DAUGHTER, JENNIFER ANSARI ACCUSES SOPHIA'S FATHER, HER FORMER BOYFRIEND, OF WRONG DOING AGAINST SOPHIA. HER PARENTS TELL US..AFTER SHE CHALLENGED THE FATHER IN COURT FOR A CHANGE IN CUSTODY AND CHILD SUPPORT.. COUPLED WITH HER ACCUSATIONS..THE COURTS FOUND IN THE FATHER'S FAVOR. THAT'S WHEN THEY BELIEVE THERE DAUGHTER FELT SHE HAD NO OTHER OPTION BUT TO RUN FROM THEIR HOME IN FISHERS, INDIANA. ACCORDING TO THE FATHER'S ATTORNEY, RODNEY SARKOVICS, THE FATHER SPOKE WITH JENNIFER ABOUT RETURNING SOPHIA INTO HIS CARE IN FLORIDA. SARCKOVICS SAYS THAT'S WHEN JENNIFER TOLD THE FATHER..SHE WASN'T RETURNING THE CHILD..AND INDICATED SHE MAY HARM HERSELF AND THE CHILD. THAT'S WHEN AN EMERGENCY MOTION WAS FILED FOR IMMEDIATE CUSTODY TO THE FATHER IN FLORIDA. AND INDIANA STATE POLICE FILED THE AMBER ALERT. THE WAGGENERS ADMIT..THEY MET WITH THEIR DAUGHTER YESTERDAY. JENNIFER ANSARI WAS IN LOUISVILLE.. BUT THEY SAY THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE SHE IS NOW..AND EVEN ASKED THEIR DAUGHTER NOT TO TELL THEM..SO THEY COULDN'T LIE TO POLICE. AND SPEAKING OF POLICE.. WHILE WE WERE INTERVIEWING THE PARENTS, TWO OFFICERS WITH LMPD CAME TO QUESTION THEM IN RELATION TO THEIR DAUGHTER AND THE AMBER ALERT. LOUISVILLE POLICE ARE NOT THE LEAD IN THIS CASE, BUT THEY ARE ASSISTING KENTUCKY AND INDIANA STATE POLICE. JENNIFER ANSARI HAS TWO OTHER CHILDREN. DAVID CAMM'S OWN WORDS

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